Manufacture of shoes



1933 ,1. s. KAM BORIAN 1,919,658

MANUFACTURE OF SHOES Original Filed Sept. 26, 1930 Fri iterated July 25, 1933 srar estates JACOB SJIKAMBORIZEAN, OF WEST NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB. T NORTHERN MACHINE 00., INC., 0]? BOSTQN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MANAGED SETTS Original application filed September 28, 1930, Serial No. 484,553. Divided and this application filed August,

- provement in the manufacture of shoes and necessitating the employment of lasts of.

more particularly to a process for treating the bottoms of shoes, which is applicable to McKay shoes, more especially to McKay shoes when made by a cementing process and without the use of tacks, although it is also applicable to Welt shoes.

When manufacturing shoes by a cement ing process, where tacks are" not used, and particularly at the toe portion, the shoe is placed in a bed lasting machine and the toe portions of the upper materials are wiped over by the lasting wipers. Even though the wiping operation be repeated several times, the up er materials have a tendency to assume t eir normal position as often as the wipers are withdrawn, so that the usual cement does not have time to set and hold the material fiat and smooth. Moreover, the lasting wipers themselves are not adapted to exert pressure in such a way as effectively to level or smooth the upper materials at this point, with the result that when the outsole is applied, there Will be lumps or ridges between the outsole and insole at the toe portion of the shoe, unless that portion of the shoe bottom is subse quently ironed, which entails a separate operation after removal from the lasting machine. I 'am aware that it has been pro posed to cement the edge ofthe up er to the inner sole and to hold it while t e cement is setting by devices having insole penetrating prongs, nails or the like, but all such proposals so far as known to me have proven ineffective and of no commercial value by reason of the difliculty of applying such holding devices and especially the difficulty of removing them at the completion of the operation, such devices causing injury to the shoe parts and in some instances special form, while devices designed to exert pressure upon the entire shoe bottom, for example, in cementing an outer-sole in place, are not adapted to exert the intense localized pressure necessary to level and flatten the wiped-in upper material at the toe.

Serial No. 556,375.

The principal object of the present inven-- t1on is to eliminate and obviate the difficulties above mentioned, and to provide a method or'process whereby the toe portions of the upper materials, after being wiped in by the shoe lasting wipers, may be levelled and flattened and reliably held in such condition until the retaining cement has 'set by means which does not injure the last or shoe parts and which can be easily applied and released.

Such process may be carried out for example by the employment of a device which will exert suflicient local pressure upon the folded-in upper materials to level or smooth the same so as to eliminate wrinkles,- corrugations or the like, such for example, as shown and described in my copending application, Serial No. 484,553, filed Septem ber 26, 1930, of which this application is a division,.but is manifestly capable of being carried out by other means.

he process may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one device useful in the ractice of the invention, said device being s own in position to carry out the final step of the process;

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the clampplate forming an essential element of the device; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Y

Referring now to the drawing, the device illustrated therein comprises an arm 1 having at one end thereof a cup-shaped member or cap 2 pivoted at 3 and adapted to fit over the peak 4 of the forepart of a last 5. The opposite end of the arm 1 is bent to form an ofl'set arm 6 having therein a. longitudinal slot 7 saidtwo arms being in the shape of an i... Cooperating with the arm 6 is a bracket 8 dovetailing with said arm for guidance, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. A bolt 9 extends through the bracket 8, having a squared portion 10 to prevent rotation, and having a threaded stem 11 extending through the arm 6-. A wing nut 12 is provided to-clamp the arm 6 and bracket 8 in adjusted position, a washer 13 belng inter osed between the wing nut 12 and arm 6. he bracket 8 is angled to form an extension 14 having a threaded boss 15 at its outer end. Through this threaded boss is adapted to be screwed a threaded stem 16 having a handle 17 on its upper end and a rounded knob 18 on its lower end. This rounded end 18 is adapted to seat in a recess or depression 19 in a rivet 20, this rivet 20 uniting the two sections 21 forming the clamping or levelling plate. This plate is preferably fairly thin, but is sufliciently stiff and rigid to enable it to transmit the necessary intense localized pressure to the foldedin toe material without yielding or buckling, and is of such size and contour as to confine the compressive action to the toe portion of the shoe, it being noted that this plate is of such width, inwardly of its,outer lateral margin, as substantially to cover the entire width of the folded-in upper material exposed by retraction on the lasting wipers, and is thus capable of exerting flattening or leveling pressure over substantially the en-' tire area of the folded-in material, and particularly along the margin of the shoe bottom while the cement is setting. The under surfaces of these sections 21 are smooth, in the sense that they have no prongs, points, or projections such as would penetrate the material of the shoe for holding engagement therewith, but in thus describing them as smooth I do not exclude such knurling or similar treatment as illustrated at 22, to insure a gripping thereof on the edges 23 of the upper materials 24. A spring 25 is provided having a bearing in each of the sec tions 21 and normally tending to hold 'said parts in separated position.

The process to which this application is directed will not be described with particular reference to the device illustrated in the drawing but it will be understood that I am not limited thereto and that other means can be employed to carry out the process. The insole 26 and upper materials 24 are first assembled on the last 5 in the usual manner, while the last is in a bed-lasting machine (not shown). The edges 23 of the upper material are pulled over atthe toe and the sideslasted. Adhesive is inserted between the edges 23 and insole 26, and the lasting wipers 27 are operated to pull over and wipe the edges 23 at the toe part.

The wipers 27 are then separated and/or lifted a sufiicient distance to allow the appli cation of the smoothing and levelling plate 21 to the toe of the shoe bottom, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Then, as a convenient means for applying pressure to the plate 21, the cap 2 is fitted over the peak of the last and the arm 1 swung until the This clamping and moving action will not only complete the pulling over action, but will also-smooth out, level and press the edges 23 of the upper materials at this toe portion.

As the plate sections 21 are moved toward the heel, they ma expand, the spring 25 tending to force sai sections outwardly, so as to insure perfect action on the edges The device is left in clamping position for a predetermined length of time suflicient to permit the cement to set, and is then removed, at which time the cement will have set and the upper materials are securely held in permanent position, ready for the application of the outsole. Preferably a qulck setting cement will be used, either one which is applied hot and which sets upon cooling, or one comprising a highly volatile solvent which sets by evaporation of the solvent.

The above description makes it readily apparent to one skilled in the art that my new and novel process in its preferred form may be briefly described as comprising the following steps in whole or in part and in any gppropriate order ssembling the insole and upper materials upon a last and mounting them in a lasting machine, the last being of standard construction, that is to say requiring no special reparation for this particular use.

2. Pu ling over the edges of the upper materials.

3. Rendering the material adhesive,

4. Operating the lasting wipers.

5. Withdrawing the lasting wipers from operative position.

6. Exerting pressure upon the folded upper material and the toe portion in such a way as tolevel and smooth such material.

7. Maintaining the pressure until the adhesive is set.

It will of course be understood that since certain of the above Steps are old and well known, the novelt of this invention resides in the steps whic are new per se, and in the combination of such steps with one or consideration of the following claims where? I in the spirit and scope of the invention are set forth.

I claim:

1. That process of making shoes which comprises as steps assembling an upper and an imperforate insole upon a last, wiping in the margin of the upper at the toe by means of lasting machine wipers, retracting the wipers, interposing adhesive betweenfthe wiped-in ortion of the upper and the opposed sur ace of the insole, applying flattening pressure, while the shoe is in the lasting machine, locally to substantially the entire mass of the wiped-in toe material by means movable relatively to the lasting wipers while leaving the shoe bottom exposed rearwardly of its toe portion, maintaining such flattening pressure, without penetration of the insole by pressure maintaining parts, for a time suflicient to permit the adheslve to set, and removing the shoes from the lasting machine to make room for another, while still maintaining such pressure.

2. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in workin the margin of the toe end portion of a s oe upper into lasted position upon the bottom faceof an insole mounted on a standard last, applying pressure to said margin at the toe portion only of the shoe while leavin the bottom of the shoe exposed rearward ly of said toe portion and by the use of cementitious material causing such toe material to adhere to the insole, maintaining pressure against such marginal toe material to flatten and level the latter by the application of force reactive between said material and the cone portion of the last, until the cementitious material has substantially set and while lasting the heel end of the shoe, there after releasing the margin from such pressure, applying an outsole, and securing the latter to the insole.

3. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in working the margin of the toe end portion of upper maclamping said presser member against such margin with a force suflicient to flatten and level all. of said marginal wiped-in toe material, maintaining such pressure, without penetration of the insole by pressure-maintaining parts, until the marginal material has set, and removing the shoe from the lasting machine before such material has completely set to make room for another shoe.

4. That improvement in methods of making shoes of that kind in which the marginal portion of the upper lies substantially fiat in contact with the inner surface of the inner sole, which comprises as steps working the marginal portion of the upper at the toe of the shoe inwardly over the bottom of the in sole, thereby producing folds or pleats in said marginal material where it overlies the toe of the insole, causing the opposed surfaces of the insole and such folded-in mar ginalmaterial to become adhesive, and exerting compressive force, having a component in a direction substantially pe endicular to the bottom face of the inso e, upon substantially all of said pleated toe material throughout substantially its entire width, the pressure being confined to the toe portion of the shoe and being of suflicient intensity and so applied as to flatten and level the pleated material, whereby to roduce a surface appropriate for the appllcation of an outer sole without recourse to pounding, lasting the heel end of the shoe while maintaining such pressure, without penetration of the insole by pressure-applying or pressure-maintaining elements, releasing the pressure, and applying an outer sole.

5. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in lasting the margin of upper materials about the toe end of a last inwardl y over the bottom face of an insole on the last, then disposing a substantially rigid imperforate clamplng member upon the wiped-in upper materials, said clamping member being of a size and contour such as to contact with and substantial- ,ly cover all of such wiped-in toe material while leaving the bottom of the shoe uncovered rearwardly of its toe portion, applying pressure to the clamping member, in such a way as to avoid-penetration of the insole by force-applying or maintaining parts, whileexerting sufiicient force betweenthe last and clamping member to flatten substantially all of the wiped-in toe "materials against the insole and maintaining the ressure thus applied untilthe margin 0 the upper materials has substantially set in lasted position and while lasting the heel end of the shoe. 6. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises working the margin ofthe end portion of the upper materials. into lasted position over, the bottom of an insole mounted on a last by the use of lasting machine wipers, withdrawing the wipers from their advanced position and, while the 3 shoe is still in the lasting machine, disposing upon the wiped-in margin of the upper maelements, the entire under surface of sai plate being substantially in the same plane,

terials a plate devoid of work-penetratin v the platebeing of such size and contour as substantially to cover all of the wiped-in material while leaving, the bottom of the 5 portion, clamping said plate against the shoe uncovered except adjacent to said end the shoe from the lasting machine with the plate still clamped in position before the material has completely set so as to make room for another shoe 7. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in lasting the marm of upper materials about an end of a last inwardly over the bottom face" of an insole on the last by means of unheated lasting machine wipers, retracting the wipers,

then dis osing a substantially rigid pressure-app ying member, independent of the wipers, upon the lasted-in margin of the upper materials at the toe, said member having -'a substantially plane under surface of such size and contour as substantially to cover all of such wiped-inctoe material while leaving the bottom of the shoe uncovered rearwardly of its toe portion, pressing said member against the wiped-in toe materials with pressure suflicient to flatten and level substantially all of said materials against the bottom face of the insole, holding said member in pressure-applying relation to such; wiped-in material without penetration of the insole by ressure-maintaining parts until such material is substantially set in lasted position, and, while so holding the parts and before'the material has completely set, removing the shoe from the lasting machine to make room for another.

8. That process of making shoes which comprises as steps assembling an upper and an insole upon a last, disposing the last and assembled material in a lasting machine having lasting wipers, wiping-in the toe portion of the margin of the upper by means of the lasting wipers, removing the wipers from upper engaging position, applying adhesive to the wiped-in material, disposing a presser member, separate from the lasting wipers, upon the wiped-in material at the toe portion of the shoe, saidpresser member bein of such size and contour as to engage and cover substantially all of such wiped-in toe material while leavin the bottom of the shoe exposed rearwar ly of the toe portion to permit operations upon said rearward part, applying pressure to said presser member suflicient to flatten and level the wiped-in toe material, andmaintaining said presser member in pressure-applying position, until the adhesive has set, without penetration of the insole by pressure-maintaining parts, and while so maintaining the pressure, removing the shoe from the lasting machine to make room for another.

9. That process of making shoes which comprises as steps assembling an upper and an insole upon a last, disposing the last and assembled material in a lasting machine having lasting wipers, wiping-in an end portion of the margin of the upper by means of the lasting wipers, removing the wipers from upper engaging position, interposing adhesive between the opposed surfaces of the wiped-in material and the insole, disposing a substantially rigid presser member in contact with that portion of the wiped-in material at the end of the shoe which has been folded over the insole by the wipers, said presser member being of such size and contour as substantially to cover all of such wiped-in material at the end of the shoe while leaving the bottom of the shoe uncovered except at said end portion, applying localized pressure by means of said presser member suflicient to flatten and level the wiped-in material at the end of the shoe, and maintaining such pressure without penetrating or engaging the insole by pressuremaintaming parts until the adhesive has set and while lasting the other end of the shoe. 10. That process of making shoes which comprises as steps assembling an upper and an insoleupon a last, folding the "margin of the toe portion of the upper inwar ly over the edge of the insole, causing said folded-over ortion of the upper and the opposed sur aces of the insole to become mutually adhesive, placing a substantially rigid presser element devoid of work-penetrating parts upon said folded-over toe material, said element being of such size and contour as to contact with substantially all of such wiped-in toe material while leaving the bottom of the shoe uncovered rearwardly of the toe portion, causing said element to press such material with sufiicient pressure to flatten and level it, and maintaining said element under flattening pressure without penetration of the insole by pressuremaintaining parts until the adhesive has set and while lasting the heel end of the shoe.

11. That process of making shoes which comprises as steps assembling an upper and an imperforate insole upon a last, wiping-in the margin of the upper at the toe by means of lasting machine wipers, interposing a aeraeaa ad of such wiped-in toe material, applying sufiicient pressure to said presser element to flatten and level the wiped-in toe material, and maintaining said element under such flattening pressure without perforation of the insole by pressure-maintaining parts and during-removal of the shoe from the lasting machine to make room for another shoe.

12. That process of making shoes which comprises as steps assembling; an imper- -forate insole and an upper upon a last of standard construction, pulling over the margin of the upper at the toe portion, introducing adhesive between 1' the opposed surfaces of the insole and upper at the toe portion, wiping in the margin of the upper over the forepart of the insole by means of lasting machine wipers, retracting the wipers, applying a levelling plate independent of the wipers to the wiped-in toe material while the shoe is still in thalasb ing machine, said plate bein of such size and contour as to engage su stantially all of such wiped-in toe material while leaving the bottom of the shoe uncovered rearwardly of the toe portion, pressing the levelin plate down upon said wiped-in toe materia maintaining pressure upon said plate suflicient to flatten and level the wiped-in too material until the adhesive has set but without penetration of the insole b pressuremaintaining parts, and lasting t e heel end of the shoe while maintaining such pressure.

13. That improvement in methods of making a lasted shoe devoid of metallic fasteners at its toe and having its bottom surface at the toe substantially flat'and level, which comprises asv steps assembling an upper and an imperforate lnsole upon a last, wlping-in the toe portion of the upper b means of the wipers of a bed lasting machine, retracting the wipers, disposing a substantially rigid imperforate presser plate upon the wiped-in material, the plate being of such size and contour as to engage substantially all of such wiped-in toe material while leaving the bottom of the shoe uncovered rearwardly of its toe portion, applyinflg suflicient local pressure to the plate to atten and level the wiped-in toe material, and maintaining such pressure upon the late durin the lasting of the heel end of e shoe an 'lintil the wiped-in toe material has set in level condition but without penetration or I perforation of the insole'by'pressure-maimof making shoes which tain' parts.

14. hat process com rises as steps assembhng an upper and inso e upon a last, dis osing the last and .60 assembled material in a asting machine havin lasting wipers wiping-in the toe portion ofihe margin of the upper by means of the lasting wipers, moving the wipers from their advanced wiping position, causing the inner surface of the wiped-in material tobecome adhesive, disposing a rigid presser member, separate from the lasting wipers and devoid of projecting prongs, upon the wiped-in material uncovered bymovement of the wipers from their advanced position so as to engageand cover substantially all of such wiped-in 'toe material and while leaving the bottom of the shoe uncovered rearwardly of its toe portion, and, while the shoe is still in the lasting machine, applying pressure to said member substantially at the center of width thereof and suificient to level and flatten the wiped-in toe material so as to make the shoe bottom ready for application of an outer sole, and, while lasting the -heeliend of the shoe, maintaining such pressure at the same point on said member until the adhesive has set but without penetration of the insole by pressure-maintaming parts.

15. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises wiping-in the margin of the toe portion of the upper materials over the bottom face of an insole on a last by means of the wipers ofalasting machine thereby forming pleats'in such marginal material, retracting the wipers, applymg in continuous engagement with the margm of the upper materials, uncovered by retraction of the wipers around the toe, a substantially U-shaped inflexible presser member devoid of work-penetrating parts and extending from the inner edge of the wipedin material outward as far as the edge of the insole, said presser member leaving the bottom of the shoe uncovered rearwardly of its toe portion, forcibly urging said presser member toward the bottom face of the insole whereby to flatten the pleated wiped-in ma terial at the toe sufliclently to produce a level surface without recourse to grinding or pounding, and maintaining said presser member in compressive relation to said wiped-in material, without perforation of the insole by pressure'maintaining devices,

until such material has set in flat and level condition and while lasting the heel endof the shoe. I

16. That improvement in 'methods of making shoes which comprises lasting the marinsole on the last by the use of wipers in a lasting machine, retractingsald wipers,

applying a rigid clamping platedevoid of gm of upper materials about the toe end of a last inwardly over the bottom face of an in up r material forcibly against the bottom ace of the insole with pressure sufficient to flatten said pleated material from a location substantially over the edge of the insole inwardly to the inner edge of said material, removing the shoe from the lasting machine, and'holding said clamping plate inpressure-applying position, while avoiding penetration of the insole by maintaining parts, until the margin of the upper materlals has substantially set 'in lasted iti-on.

17. hat method of manufacturing shoes which includes the following steps: assembling the insole and upper upon a last, mounting the last in a lasting machine, folding over the edge of the upper at the toe portion, rendering such edge adhesive, op-

- crating lasting wipers to bring the edge of the upper into contact with the insole, withdrawlng the wipers from the operating position, placing a (plate upon the edge of the upper uncovere by withdrawal of the wipers, while the shoe is still in the lasting downwardly exerte machine ap ly pressurupo'ii sai i f plate at such an angle that the plate moves rearwardly, causin the plate to expand laterall as it moves a ong the shoe bottom to a fina position, and maintaining such downwardlgnexerted pressure upon the plate in said a1 position until the adhesive has set.

18. That recess of manufacturing shoes which inclu es the following steps: assembling the insole and up r upon a last, mounting the last in a be lasting machine, folding over the edge of the upper at the toe portion, rendering such edge adhesive, 9mm the lasting wipers to bring the ge of t e up r in contact with the'insole, withdrawing t e wipers from operating sition, applying pressure means to the edge of theup r uncovered by withdrawal of t e wipers w ile the shoe is still in the lasting machine, exerting pressure upon such means downwardly toward the insole while causaeiaess ing said pressure means to move rearwardly, and maintaining the edge of the upper under such downwardly exerted pressure until the adhesive has set.

19. That process of making shoes which comprises as steps assembling an upper and an insole upon a standard ast, wiping in the margin of the upper at the toe by means of lasting machine wipers, retracting the wipers, causing the wiped-1n material and the opplosed surfaces of the insole to become mutua y adhesive, dis osing a substantially flat U-shaped plate, in ependent of the wipers, upon the wiped-' toe material, said plate covering the wiped-in material from the outer edge of the shoe bottom inwardly substantially to the edge of said u per material, applying pressure to said p ate sufiicient to flatten said wi ed-in toe material while exerting u on sai late a. component of force 1ong1tu inally oi the Shoe bottom, and maintaining the flattening pressure upon said wiped-in material until the adhesive has set. 4 a

20. That im rovement in methodsjof mak ing a lasted s cc devoid of metallic fasteners at its toe and having its bottom surface at the toe substantially flat and level without recourse to pounding, which comprises as steps, assembling an upper and an inperforate insole upon a" standard last. wipingin the margin of the upper at the toe by means of lastin machine wipers, retracting the wipers, disposing a presser plate, independent of the wipers, upon said wiped-in toe material, applying pressure to said 1plate in such a way as to urge it longitudina ly of the insole until a substantial degree of pressure has been attained thereby to complete the pulling over operation, and thereafter maintaining pressure upon said plate in a direction 7 toward the shoe, bottom suflicient to level said wiped-in material and hold it flatuntil it has set in level condition.

ason S.'KAMBORIAN. 

